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Another Look at King Abdullah's 2002 Peace Plan
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 "..The
Arab League's peace initiative came some time after the
eruption of the Aqsa intifada and followed a plan conceived
of by then Crown Prince Abdullah of Saudi Arabia. The plan
was actually leaked to the NY Times' Tom Friedman in
advance over a private dinner with the crown prince and was
then adopted as an Arab peace plan at the Arab League Summit
in Beirut in March 2002. In one simple stroke the plan
offers all parties what they need while falling entirely in
line with international law and legitimacy. It asks for the
return of all lands occupied by Israel in 1967, i.e., the
Gaza Strip, the West Bank including East Jerusalem, to serve
as a future independent Palestinian state, and the Golan
Heights to Syria. It also alludes to a "just and
fair" resolution of the Palestinian refugee problem,
though it is not clear whether the right of return refers to
the state to be created or historic Palestine.."
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Saudi Arabia Hosts Iraq Reconciliation Talks
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 "..Iraqi
Shiite and Sunni religious leaders have been in Makkah for
most of the week trying to find a way to halt sectarian
violence that is threatening to escalate into an all-out
civil war. Key leaders of Iraq’s Shiite majority community
have given their blessings to the meeting hosted by Saudi
Arabia but analysts voiced skepticism about its chances of
influencing the sectarian death squads at work in Iraq.
Gathering under the auspices of the 57-member OIC, the
summiteers will work from a 10-point text that draws on
verses of the Qur’an and sayings of the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh)
highlighting that 'spilling Muslim blood is forbidden'.."
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| Fragmented
Iraq - SNSAP Final Report
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 "..Iraq
is at a crossroads and faces a myriad of challenges,
including economic, social and most importantly, security
issues. The 2003 US invasion opened a bloody Pandora's Box
of deep-rooted sectarian tensions as well as rival communal
interests. It also ignited a tinderbox of violence brought
on by an insurgency that is proving difficult to contain and
even harder to eradicate -- to date, the country has seen no
respite from violence, which has targeted US and Iraqi
forces and terrorized civilians with almost daily bombings,
drive-by shootings, kidnappings and assassinations. A civil
war may well be inevitable. Such a development would have
the gravest implications for the entire region, especially
Saudi Arabia, which shares its longest international border
with Iraq.."
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| Arab-US Policymakers Conference
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 15TH
ANNUAL ARAB-U.S. POLICYMAKERS CONFERENCE
October 30-31
Ronald Reagan International Trade Center, Washington, D.C.
"..By popular demand, both days of the 15th Annual Arab U.S. Policymakers Conference of the National Council on US Arab Relations (NCUSAR) on October 30-31, 2006, have been opened to the public. The Ambassador of Saudi Arabia, His Royal Highness Prince Turki Al-Faisal, will be the featured keynote speaker at the first day luncheon.
'It will be first come, first served,' said Conference Coordinator Hassan
Al-Husseini. 'We expect to have a full house with a capacity audience at the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center in Washington D.C. We recommend early registration by filling out the form in the website
www.ncusar.org'.."
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| In
the News
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Saudi, most Gulf Arabs start Eid feast on Monday
Saudi Arabia, the birthplace of Islam, and most fellow Gulf Arab states will celebrate the Muslim Eid al-Fitr feast on Monday to mark the end of the holy fasting month of Ramadan, regional media said on Saturday.
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| In
the News
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OPEC
Says It Will Cut 1.2 Million Barrels a Day
"..The
Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries early
today announced plans to cut oil production by 1.2 million
barrels a day, equal to 4.3 percent of the group's total, in
an effort to stop the slide in oil prices over the past
three months. The unexpectedly large size of the cut,
the cartel's first since December 2004, was aimed at the
many oil traders and analysts who still take a skeptical
view of OPEC's will to follow through and carry out
meaningful output reductions. In contrast to the
jawboning about production cuts that has been going on for
the past three weeks, this plan emerged from an emergency
meeting in the Qatari capital of Doha and had the crucial
support of Saudi Arabia, the biggest producer in the
group.."
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| In
the News
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Saudi Arabia
sets up panel to formalize succession
"..Saudi Arabia said on Friday a committee of princes will vote on the eligibility of future generations of kings and crown princes, in an apparent bid to formalize the succession process.
The system will not take effect until Crown Prince Sultan, heir to King Abdullah, becomes king, a statement from the royal court said.
The committee will be made up of sons and grandsons of late King Abdul Aziz al-Saud, founder of modern Saudi Arabia and father of the current king and crown prince, said the statement signed by King Abdullah.
It did not specify the size of the committee, to be called the Allegiance Institution.."
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| In
Memoriam
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Hermann F.
Eilts
1922-2006
Ambassador
Hermann Frederick Eilts, who served as U.S. Ambassador to
Saudi Arabia from 1965-1970, died at his home in Wellesley,
Mass., on October 12 of complications of heart disease according
to WashingtonPost.com. The obituary noted that
Eilts was one of the State Department's first Middle East
specialists when he entered the Foreign Service in 1947 .. a
man with unflappable self-control, he helped keep peace
during some of the major world crises of the 1970s and
'80s." He was US Ambassador to Egypt
(1973-1979) and played a "crucial role" in the
1978 Camp David Summit among the United States, Egypt and
Israel, according to an obituary posted on Boston
University's (BU) web site. After 32 years as a
diplomat Ambassador Eilts was appointed a distinguished
professor at BU. He founded the Center for
International Relations and became a professor emeritus at
the university in 1993.
In
addition to his service as Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Eilts
was posted to the Kingdom in the early days of America's
diplomatic relations with Riyadh. His observations of
the Kingdom after his arrival in 1948 were featured in the
PBS Frontline documentary "House
of Saud" including a colorful description of his
arrival, "I came from Tehran aboard the air attache's
plane, and when we arrived at Jeddah Airport, there was
simply a Quonset hut. There were no buildings or anything of
that sort .. There was an immigration officer who sort of
looked and wasn't particularly interested. And as I
remember, some of the employees in this Quonset hut, the
airport, had a tame baboon, and that baboon sort of looked
everybody over, and if the baboon approved, then one got
through. That's my first recollection of Jeddah."
Upon
hearing of Ambassador Eilts passing a number of Middle East
specialists who knew him shared their memories of the
diplomat in an on-line forum dealing with Gulf
affairs. Professor Gregory Gause of the University of
Vermont called Eilts, "one of America's most
distinguished diplomats and an old Middle East hand in the
very best sense .. He was one of the smartest and nicest
people I have met in the Middle East studies
field." Middle East Institute Adjunct Scholar
Thomas Lippman, Washington Post correspondent in Cairo
during Ambassador Eilts' posting to Egypt, called him,
"a thoughtful, creative, and skillful diplomat whose
integrity was above question." He added,
"Ambassador Eilts was the soul of diplomatic
discretion, but when he decided to talk there was no doubt
about his command of the subject. It would be comforting to
think that there are more like him in the Foreign Service
pipeline."
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| Keeping
Track - Recently
on SUSRIS |
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Rollover
image for info |
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Separate
FTAs 'May Hurt GCC' [Oct 21]
"Free Trade Agreements between individual Gulf states and
the US could sound the death knell for GCC customs union
agreement, according to a Dubai-based expert. The only solution
is for all six GCC states to sign FTAs with the US, to create an
even playing field, said Gulf Research Centre economics
programme manager Dr Eckart Woertz. The customs agreement seems
to be coming apart at the seams, with Saudi and the UAE refusing
entry for each other's goods in the last few weeks.." [more]
Deeper Opec
Cut Fails to Hold Price [Oct 21]
"Oil prices fell below $58 a barrel yesterday, even though
Opec made a deeper output cut than expected, on concerns that
some of the group's members may fail to comply with the curbs..
..Some ministers said a further cut of 500,000 bpd could follow
when Opec next meets in Nigeria in December.." [more]
Astronomer
Says Eid Will Be Monday [Oct 21]
"Eid Al-Fitr, the celebration marking the end of fasting in
Ramadan, will be Monday, according to Khaled ibn Saleh Al-Zaaq,
member of Arab Space Science Federation and supervisor of
Buraidah Astronomical Observatory.. ..'Eid Al-Fitr should be
celebrated on the first day of the lunar month of Shawwal.
Muslims around the world are now celebrating it on three
different days due to the lack of a unified calendar'.." [more]
We Don’t
Want Outsiders to Interfere in Iraq: Abdullah [Oct 21]
"..King Abdullah yesterday received the delegates taking
part in the Iraqi national reconciliation conference in Makkah..
..'I welcome you in your second country and wish you every
success in your efforts as you are brothers in Islam and we
don’t want anybody to interfere in the affairs of the Islamic
nation,' the Saudi Press Agency quoted the king as telling the
delegates.." [more]
Saudi Stock
Index Plummets 4.05 Percent [Oct 21]
"Saudi and other Arab stocks lost momentum last week ahead
of the Eid Al-Fitr holidays, but analysts said yesterday they
expected regional markets to rebound after the fasting month of
Ramadan. Saudi shares were the biggest losers in the region last
week amidst reported disappointment over the third quarter
results. The Tadawul All-Share Index (TASI) plummeted 4.05
percent last week, closing at 10,545.35 points down from
10,989.99 points previous week.." [more]
Saudi Arabia
Sets Up Panel to Formalize Succession [Oct 20]
"- Saudi Arabia said on Friday a committee of princes will
vote on the eligibility of future generations of kings and crown
princes, in an apparent bid to formalize the succession process.
The system will not take effect until Crown Prince Sultan, heir
to King Abdullah, becomes king, a statement from the royal court
said.. ..Under the new system the Allegiance Institution will
have a say in the appointment of a crown prince suggested by the
king. If the institution rejects the nominated crown prince, it
may vote for one of three princes the king nominates for the
title.." [more]
Iraqi
Clerics to Meet in Mecca to Try to End Sectarian Violence [Oct
20]
"Iraqi religious leaders will meet late today in the Muslim
holy city of Mecca, Saudi Arabia, in an effort to halt
escalating sectarian violence in their country. Shiite and Sunni
Muslim leaders from Iraq will be asked to endorse a document
calling for the rejection of violence and the prohibition of the
killing of innocent people.. ..The 57-member Organization of the
Islamic Conference is behind the initiative.." [more]
Saudi King
Meeting Syrian Dissidents? [Oct 20]
"Saudi King Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz and his Crown Prince
Sultan have reportedly met with Syrian dissident and former Vice
President Abdel Halim Khaddam. A London-based diplomat told
United Press International on condition of anonymity Friday that
the Saudi monarch and crown prince met Tuesday with Khaddam, who
lives in self-exile in Paris.. ..The source, who refused to
elaborate on Khaddam's meeting in Saudi Arabia, said King
Abdullah will hold a similar meeting with Rifaat Assad, Syrian
President Bashar Assad's uncle who has been living in exile for
several years.." [more]
OPEC
Credibility Salvaged by Output Cut [Oct 20]
"OPEC's surprise agreement to curb output by 1.2 million
barrels per day should put a floor under oil prices and is a
first step in restoring the producer group's credibility. The
reduction is deeper than the one million barrels per day (bpd)
cut expected and ministers have said they might cut further at
their next meeting in December.. ..'There is still a degree of
skepticism over whether they will deliver all the cuts,' said
Tobin Gorey, commodity strategist at the Commonwealth Bank of
Australia.." [more]
Arabs
Expected to Invest Billions in Overseas Property [Oct 20]
"Arab investors looking to spend windfall oil revenues are
expected to invest a record $15 billion on commercial property
in the United States and Europe this year, a real-estate
services company said. Investment in properties including New
York hotels and London offices by Gulf Arab governments and
financial institutions may rise more than 50 per cent from last
year's $9.9 billion.." [more]
Kingdom’s
South to Get Its Own Economic City [Oct 20]
"The Kingdom’s fourth economic city will be in the
southwestern port city of Jizan.. ..The plan to launch the
fourth economic city in Jizan comes after a detailed study on
the region’s industrial prospects and its strategic geographic
position. Jizan has rich deposits of limestone, dolomite,
marble, basalt, gypsum and silica.." [more]
Saudi Oil
Minister Supports OPEC Production Cutbacks [Oct 19]
"Saudi Arabia's oil minister threw his support behind a 1
million barrel-a-day cut in production by the Organization of
Petroleum Exporting Countries, but oil traders and analysts still
took a skeptical view of OPEC's will to carry out meaningful
output reductions. As he arrived for an emergency meeting of OPEC
leaders in Doha, Qatar, Saudi Oil Minister Ali Naimi said that
'absolutely, we support cutting 1 million in production'.." [more]
Israel Urged
to Make Saudi-Inspired Peace [Oct 19]
"An Israeli Cabinet minister from the major Kadima Party
called for peace negotiations on the basis of the Saudi peace
initiative endorsed by Arabs in 2002.. ..The Saudi peace plan,
endorsed at the 2002 Arab summit in Beirut, offered Israel full
Arab recognition and normal relations in exchange for a full
return of the Arab territories Israel captured in the 1967 war,
including Gaza, the West Bank, East Jerusalem and the Golan
Heights.." [more]
Millions
Throng Saudi Mosques to Observe Laylat Al Qadr [Oct 19]
"Over two million Muslims thronged the Haram Mosque in Makkah
and the Prophet's Mosque in Madinah and prayed for forgiveness and
mercy.. ..Yesterday night was Laylat Al Qadr [Ramadan 27, the
Night of Power] a night about which the Quran said: 'The Night of
Power is better than a thousand months." Worshippers were
seen moving to the mosques from yesterday morning itself'.."
[more]
Bangladesh,
KSA Agree to Enhance Cooperation [Oct 19]
"Bangladesh and Saudi Arabia agreed to enhance cooperation in
investment, commerce and manpower to the mutual economic benefit
of the two brotherly Muslim countries.. ..The broad agreement came
during a meeting between Prime Minister Khaleda Zia and Saudi
Crown Prince Sultan Bin Abdul Aziz at Azizia Palace Tuesday night.
They also discussed supply of fuel oil on deferred payment against
'365-day credit' to Bangladesh and cooperation in defence related
matters.." [more]
Saudi, Jordan
Monarchs Meet [Oct 19]
"King Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz, Custodian of the Two Holy
Mosques, and Jordanian King monarch King Abdullah II met in the
holy city Tuesday to discuss the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and
the crisis in Iraq, the Saudi Press Agency reported.At a Monday
night meeting chaired by King Abdullah, the Cabinet warned against
“attempts to divide” Iraq, a country in the throes of a bitter
and deadly sectarian conflict.." [more]
International
Conference on Child Health [Oct 19]
"The Saudi Pediatrics Association will launch the Third
International Conference on Child Health on Nov. 20-23 at the
Jeddah Hilton. Nov. 19 has been named Saudi Child Day by the
organization and events are planned for that day to address issues
such as the rights of children in Islam and the activities of
international organizations dedicated to child protection. More
than 1,000 Saudi and international doctors and experts are
expected to attend the conference.." [more]
Motorola to
Boost Its Presence in Mobile Market [Oct 19]
"Motorola has drawn up plans to increase its presence in the
Saudi mobile market. 'Our mobiles are very much present across the
Kingdom, but we’re going ahead with a plan to further boost our
presence in the local and regional market'.. ..Motorola, one of
the global leaders in wireless communications, unveiled its
“hottest portfolio to date” with a kaleidoscope of
cutting-edge mobile devices and accessories that is aimed to set
new standards in 'what’s hot' for consumers across the
Kingdom.." [more]
King Abdullah
Approves Yanbu Plant Expansion [Oct 18]
"Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah Bin
Abdulaziz, who is also Chairman of the Supreme Economic Council,
has authorized the private sector participation in the third phase
of Yanbu desalination plant's expansion.. ..The production
capacity of the plant will reach 400,000 cubic meters of water a
day by the end of the third expansion phase.." [more]
DHL Plans to
Invest $35 Million in Saudi Arabia [Oct 18]
"The Saudi Arabia logistics solution provider, SNAS/DHL, will
acquire a new aircraft that will operate on the
Jeddah-Riyadh-Manama route, Arab News reported. DHL has also
finalized a plan to invest $35 million in Saudi Arabia to create
new facilities.. ..The official said that the $35 million
earmarked for boosting DHL's business presence will have a
three-year staggered investment schedule under which new
facilities will be created in this region.." [more]
Moussa Pledges
Joint Arab Drive on Lebanon [Oct 18]
"Arab League chief Amr Moussa pledged that member states
would join forces to help Lebanon’s post-war reconstruction
after its devastating war with Israel.. ..'We, the Arab states,
have decided to help Lebanon with all our strength, capability and
determination, and we will continue that important task,' the
secretary general of the 22-member organisation said.." [more]
Kingdom
Rejects Division of Iraq on Ethnic Lines [Oct 18]
"Saudi Arabia yesterday opposed plans to divide Iraq into
autonomous regions on ethnic and sectarian grounds.. ..The Iraqi
Parliament has approved the law but the country’s Sunnis opposed
it saying it would lead to the creation of sectarian
mini-states.." [more]
Saudi Arabia
Day Will Be Marked at University of Central Missouri [Oct 18]
"The 7th Annual Saudi Arabia Day will be held at University
of Central Missouri (UCM) in Warrensburg today with Deya A. Elyas,
director of public affairs for Aramco Services Company, Houston,
Texas, as an honored guest.. ..Elyas, as senior advisor to the
President and Board committee on all public affairs matters for
Saudi Aramco Services Company, is responsible for enhancing the
image of Saudi Aramco in North America.." [more]
PM Seeks
Concession on Saudi Oil [Oct 17]
"Prime Minister Khaleda Zia has requested Saudi King Abdullah
Bin Abdul Aziz to provide fuel oils for Bangladesh on 365 days'
credit to maintain uninterrupted development and production in
various sectors. The prime minister made the request during a
meeting with the king at Safa Palace in the holy city of Makkah
Sunday evening, according to a message received in Dhaka
yesterday.." [more]
Saudi Arabia
Says it Opposes Shiite Plan to Divide Iraq [Oct 17]
"Saudi Arabia came out Tuesday against the new law that would
divide Iraq into federal regions, saying it supported those Iraqi
politicians who seek a united country.. ..Iraq's Sunni Arabs
oppose the law as they fear it will lead to the creation of
sectarian mini-states, with the Shiites in the south and the Kurds
in the north forming separate regions that would effectively
control Iraq's oil fields and leave Sunnis in an impoverished
region in the center.." [more]
Aramco
Officials to Attend KOGC [Oct 17]
"Key developments in both Saudi Arabia and the UAE will be
addressed at the Korean Oil & Gas Conference (KOGC 2006) set
at the Imperial Palace Hotel in Seoul from Nov. 6-8. Abdallah S.
Jum'ah, president and CEO, Saudi Aramco, will be the guest of
honor at the event.. ..Saudi Aramco's profile in the oil and gas
business in Korea as well as its direction to meet the energy
challenges of the 21st century will be addressed during the
conference.." [more]
Opec Forecasts
Lower Oil Demand in Fourth Quarter [Oct 17]
"The Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries yesterday
cut its forecast for demand for its crude in the last three months
of 2006 and said recent weakness in oil prices may persist.. ..The
International Energy Agency, an adviser to 26 industrialized
nations, last week trimmed its 2007 oil demand growth forecast to
1.45 million bpd.." [more]
Saudi Arabia's
Bold Young Bloggers [Oct 16]
"There's not just an oil boom in Saudi Arabia - there's a
blogging boom too. "It really took off last year," says
Saudi journalist Rasheed Abou-Alsamh. There are now between 500
and 600 Saudi blogs - in English as well as Arabic - and the
bloggers are women as well as men.. ..There is a cyber-battle
under way, says journalist Rasheed Abou-Alsamh, between liberals
and conservatives.." [more]
Oxford Group
to Produce Saudi Annual Review [Oct 16]
"Oxford Business Group (OBG), a UK-based publishing, research
and consultancy service, has signed a strategic partnership with
the Saudi Arabian General Investment Authority (Sagia), to produce
'Emerging Saudi Arabia 2007', a detailed English language,
economic and political review of the country.. ..'Emerging Saudi
Arabia 2007' will provide potential investors with the most
accurate and comprehensive ground reporting in the Kingdom.."
[more]
Crown Prince
in Saudi [Oct 16]
"Crown Prince and BDF Commander-in-Chief Shaikh Salman bin
Hamad Al Khalifa yesterday arrived in Jeddah on a visit to Saudi
Arabia to perform Umrah. The Crown Prince held talks with the
Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah and Crown Prince
and Deputy Prime Minister Shaikh Sultan bin Abdulaziz Al Saud.
Bilateral relations and current regional and international
developments were discussed.." [more]
Saudi Ministry
Closure Delays Quota Request [Oct 16]
"With Saudi Arabia ministries closed until the end of Ramadan
next week and no change in South Africa's pilgrimage quota
expected until then, thousands of Muslim pilgrims remain in limbo
and travel operators face accommodation problems if the quota is
raised. In a desperate attempt to have the 2006 allocation raised
from 2 000 to 9 000, local Muslim leaders asked President Thabo
Mbeki to personally intervene and ask the Saudis to allow the
additional pilgrims.." [more]
Number of
Infiltrators Penetrating Saudi-Iraqi Border Drops by 40 Percent
[Oct 16]
"The number of infiltrators crossing the borders between
Saudi Arabia and Iraq has declined by 30 to 40 percent compared
with the past few years, according to Staff General Talal Anqawi,
Director General of the Saudi Border Guard. This news comes after
the Saudi Interior Ministry recently announced that it intends to
build a security barrier along its border with Iraq.." [more]
Saudi King
Abdallah and Malaysian PM Discuss Iraq [Oct 15]
"King Abdallah of Saudi Arabia and Malaysian Prime Minister
Abdullah Ahmad Badawi Saturday discussed the situation in Iraq and
the Palestinian question at a meeting here.. ..The meeting took
place at the royal palace at Mecca, where the Malaysian visitor is
currently on a pilgrimage.King Abdallah also received President
Ahmed Abdallah Sambi of the Comoros Island.." [more]
Alhokair IPO
Fully Subscribed [Oct 15]
"HSBC Saudi Arabia Limited today said that the initial public
offering (IPO) of Fawaz Abdulaziz Alhokair & Company which
opened on October 7, 2006 has already been fully subscribed. The
issue closes tomorrow (October 16). As at the end of the eighth
day of subscription, about SR1.470 billion was collected, thereby
representing 111 per cent coverage.." [more]
OPEC to
Discuss Oil Prices, Output Cut in Qatar [Oct 15]
"The Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries, producer
of 40 percent of the world's oil, will meet in Qatar on Oct. 19 to
discuss falling oil prices and a proposed output cut, the group's
acting secretary general said.. ..He denied an earlier Associated
Press report that the meeting planned for Oct. 19 in Doha, Qatar,
had been canceled. OPEC still hasn't decided whether to make a
proposed 1 million- barrel-a-day cut in output from the group's
actual production or its quota.." [more]
Saudi King
Meets Influential Iraqi Clerics [Oct 15]
"Saudi Arabia's King met yesterday with prominent Iraqi Sunni
and Shiite clerics and urged them to practise patience and
serenity in their country, an official statement said. The meeting
of the clerics with King Abdullah Bin Abdul Aziz in Makkah
underlined the growing concern over sectarian violence in
Iraq.." [more]
Kingdom Should
Ramp Up Tourism Development [Oct 15]
"Religious tourism, if it is done right, can be a fantastic
source of income, according to Jeddah architect Sami Angawi. 'The
principle to follow in relation to the development and
preservation of the religious sites is what the late King Fahd
said: ‘We add and we don’t take away'.. ..Angawi says that
Saudi Arabia should also work to promote its rich historic past
and diverse natural beauty.." [more]
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offers objective, comprehensive news and information on the
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